Tuning head



June 17, 1924. 1,498,487

' A. C. SMITH TUNING HEAD Filed July 29 1922 gmemto'c Patented June 17, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

arros c. s vrrrn, or ELBER'QI'ON, GEORGIA.

TUNING HEAD.

Application filed July 23, 1922.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Amos G. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elberton. in the county of Elbert and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Tuning Head: and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a securing and tuning head for the strings of musical instruments.

At the present time some musicians prefer the old frictionally held peg deeming the quick or rapid adjustment afforded thereby of paramount importance especially when necessary to repair a broken string while an audience waits, while other musicians prefer the improved type using gearing so that a finer adjustment of the string is afforded in the final stage of adjustment although requiring more time in the operation of replacing a broken string. The present invention aims to provide a novel construction in which the advantages of both of said types of pegs are present.

Another object is to provide a construction of peg which is gear operated and which is capable of operation independently of the gearing and more expeditiously whereby strings may be rapidly replaced and initially wound upon the pegs and the fine adjustment therefor afforded in the final stage.

Another object is to provide a constructionin which the peg is gear operated and in which it may be operated independently thereof and more rapidly by novel ratchet mechanism.

Still further, it is aimed to provide a construction in which the peg may be made of any material suitable for the purpose for instance metal, wood, fiber or celluloid.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating one practical embodiment.

In said drawings Figure -1 is a perspective view illustrating Se f-e1 in. 578,368.

the invention as applied to a musical instrument, the latter being shown fragmentarily; i

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved head;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the head taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2 and along the axis of the peg:

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view showing the peg, the driven gear, ratchet. spring and screw, in detached and disassociated relation to disclosed details and Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a modified form of peg.

Like reference characters designate like or similar parts in the difierent views.

Referring specifically to the drawings. the neck of a musical instrument, for instance a violin is shown at A having usual openings or holes B to receive the pegs which fasten and are operable to tune the strings G.

In this instance, the peg is designated 10 and carried by a bracket 11 adapted to be attached to the neck A as by means of screws 12 which project outwardly through the neck and through openings 13 in the bracket. Said openings 13 are preferably enlarged as shown so that the screws 12 may loosely enter the holes B. to allow better seating of the screws in openings 13 since a tight or close contactor fit preserves tone qualities. It is to be understood that a separate bracket is provided for each peg, although of course if desired a number of pegs may be mounted on the same bracket.

The peg 10 as shown in Figures 1 to 4 may be made in a single piece, for instance metal, having an aperture 14 therethrough through which the associated string C may be passed for fastening. The peg 10 is reduced to form a round or journaled portion 15 which is journaled in an opening 16 in the bracket and the provision of which affords a shoulder at 1'1 which abuts the inner surface of the plate or bracket 11. Beyond the journal 15 the peg-10 is further reduced into a squared portion 18. Journaled on the portion 15 is a Worm gear wheel 19. Longitudina-lly slidable on'the squared portion 18 is a ratchet knob 20, having a squared opening at 21 to snugly receive the shaft so that turning of the knob will accordingly ing 21 is provided through a wall 33 in the knob. An expansive coil spring 34 is disposed within the recess of the knob as shown hearing at one end against the wall 33 and at its opposite end against the head 35 of a screw 36 which is threaded as shown into the squared portion 18 at its outer end. Head 35 is of the same diameter as the recess of the knob and thus sliding movement of the knob against the tension of the spring 3a is permissible to disengage the ratchet teeth 22. It will be seen that the knob 20 is open at its outer end and that it is suitably shaped to facilitate manipulation, preferably being knurled or roughened as at 37.

The worm gear 19 constitutes a driving element for the peg and it is driven in any suitable manner usually from a worm 38, disposed between ears 39 on the bracket 11 and journaled in said ears through the medium of a manipulating rod 40, with which the Worm 38 is rigid, and which rodis preferably provided with a manipulating button or the equivalent at 41.

In use, manipulation of button 41' rotates rod40 and accordingly worm 38 and worm gear 19 which through its connection with the peg and by means of the knob- 20 and teeth 22, turns the peg so as to'tighten and tune the string C fastened to the peg. In the case of replacing a'string, this operation of winding the string is tedious and in actual practice it usually requires about six rotations of the worm 38 to one rotation of the peg. Thus when winding a used string or replaced string, the knob 20 is pulled outwardly so that the teeth 22 will disengage whereupon the knob 20 in the. latter position is turned'to rapidly turn or rotate the peg 10, independently of the gears. During the latteroperatiom the portion 15 of the pegs will simply rotate or turn within the round or bore opening of the driving member or gear 19. After the slack is taken out of such replaced string,,the final adjustment is provided through manipulation of the button 41 as will be understood. Thus the fine adjustment afforded at the end of a tuning operation is obtained and in addition the rapld adjustment necessary for taking up the slack of a string is also realized.

As, not all musicians prefer a metallic peg such as shown at'lO, provision is made whereby'a'peg of any appropriate material may be substituted. Reference is to be had to Figure 5 where it will beseen that the peg proper is designated 50 and whichv may for instance be made of fiber, celluloid or wood, andreceive a shank or extension51 of the peg 10 which is secured thereto by a rivet 52 for example. A securing hole 53 is provided through the peg proper 50 for connection of the strings thereto. In this form, due to the bracket-retaining screws 12 passing through openings 13 into the neck of the instrument, screws 12 should be smaller than the openings to allow of adjustment of. the peg proper 50, thereby giving a close or snug fit in holes B. As close contact of the peg proper 50 in holes B is particularly desirable to preserve tone qualities, said peg may be slightly tapered as shown for better contact in holes B. l

As merely practical embodiments have been shown by way of example, it is to be understood that changes in the details may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A tuning peg device for a musical instrument comprising a peg, means to actuate said peg including a driving member in which the peg is capable of rotation, a knob for. the peg, a ratchet connection-between said knob and member normally rigidly connecting the latter to the peg, ex-

pansive spring means normally maintaining said ratchet connection effective, said knob being slidable on said peg against the tension of said spring means to release the ratchet connection for'manipulation of the mentthrough inserting movement of the peg relatively to the hole which receives said peg. V

tuning peg device'for a stringed musical instrument comprising an attaching bracket, a peg having a round portion journaled in said bracket, and a shoulder abuts ting one side of said bracket, a driving member on said portion anddisposed on the side of said bracket opposite tothe shoulder, operating means for said driving member, and means to rigidly connect said driving member to the peg operable to disengage the driving member and operate the peg independently thereof. 7 l Y 4. A tuning peg device for a stringed musical instrument comprising a peg, a driving 7 member having a round opening, the peg having a round portion disposed in saidopening, said peg having a non-ciroularportion beyond said driving member, a knob 'non rosaid knob and driving member havingcoacting ratchet teeth, said knob having a recess, a wall at one end of said recess, a fastening screw having its head disposed in In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

AMOS 0. SMITH.

Vitnesses R. E. HUDGENS, M. R. CALDWELL. 

